Kwikset Kevo vs. August Smart Lock Pro — What’s the Difference?

What makes a good smart lock? Is it keyless convenience, simple access sharing, or the total control of your front door at your fingertips? With so many smart locks on the market, it’s hard to figure out which one will be the best fit for your home. So, today we’ll compare Kwikset Kevo vs. August Smart Lock Pro to help you with your choice.

About Kwikset Kevo and August Smart Lock

Kwikset and August are constantly creating new, innovative solutions for smart locks. Each company has its own unique features that make them rise above their competitors. Plus, with a wide product range introduced by each company, you’re sure to find a smart lock with a perfect set of smart features just for your home.

Kwikset offers three different smart locks: Premis, Kevo Lock, and Kevo Convert. And if you’ve missed out on reading about them, make sure to check our comparison of Kwikset Premis vs. Kevo Lock vs. Kevo Convert to learn more about which Kwikset lock offers HomeKit Support, creative unlock options, or Amazon Key Service compatibility.

Kwikset Kevo vs. August Smart Lock Pro — Things in Common

With the Kwikset Kevo and August Smart Lock Pro you’re always aware of who is coming and going. Plus, you can forget about standard keys! The locks feature geofencing: they detect your location so that whenever you approach to your front door, the locks will welcome you by unlocking the door for you.

Same thing happens when you leave: the August Smart Lock Pro will lock the door behind you automatically, so you don’t even need to fumble with your phone. The Kwikset Kevo Smart Lock utilizes Touch-to-Open technology, which is pretty self-explanatory. Just tap the Kevo lock to lock/unlock it whenever you’re leaving or coming home — It’s really simple and super smart.

Each smart lock has it own app that allows you to check the status of the lock, lock/unlock it, share access with others, and check the record of who is coming and going.

Whether you’re shopping smart locks for your own home or a property that you rent out, you’re researching a perfect solution that brings an immeasurable amount of comfort and security.

So, how secure are the Kwikset Kevo and August Smart Lock Pro? Let’s see how different these two locks really are.

Kwikset Kevo vs. August Smart Lock Pro — Differences

Difference #1: Security & Installation – The Kwikset Kevo Smart Lock replaces both the exterior and interior part of your standard lock. The new Kevo deadbolt features SmartKey Security™ which enhances protection against lock picking and lock bumping. Plus, SmartKey allows you to rekey a Kevo Smart Lock yourself in seconds, so you can forget about lost or unreturned keys for good.

In addition, the Kwikset Kevo deadbolt is certified Grade 2 by Ansi, which is the second best grade a lock can get. Though, if you’re looking for even more secure smart locks, check out Schlage Connect or Sense — arguably the most secure Grade 1 smart locks on the market.

Since you need to completely replace your existing lock, installation of the Kwikset Kevo might get a bit time consuming and eventually require a locksmith to make sure everything is set right. An incorrect installation of the Kevo Smart Lock might cause malfunction and battery drainage.

The August Smart Lock Pro is way easier to install because it only replaces the interior part of your standard lock. And the good thing is that you get to keep your lock and keys.

The August lock works with most single-cylinder deadbolts except for rim cylinder, mortise, or interconnected locks. The security of your smart lock partially relies on the deadbolt you have. So, if you already have a Grade 1 deadbolt, the August Smart Lock Pro will be a perfect addition to your standard lock. Plus, your lock will look totally normal from the outside which can help prevent the unwanted attention.

What about IoT security vulnerabilities? Well, both locks use encryption and dual-factor authentication to guarantee the highest level of security. Check out this Security Analysis of the August Smart Lock for more information.

Difference #2: Technology – The Kwikset Kevo lock comes with Bluetooth LE only. So, out of the box, the Kevo lock will offer remote control within its Bluetooth range (which is ~ 30ft.)

The August Smart Lock Pro has Bluetooth LE, Apple HomeKit, and Z-Wave Plus support. It’s a universal smart lock that will blend in seamlessly with some of the most popular smart home ecosystems. So, if you’re a HomeKit fan or have a Wink/SmartThings hub — the August Smart Lock Pro is a great addition to your home.

Difference #3: Remote Control – Both locks offer remote control outside of their Bluetooth range, but only through either an add-on (which costs extra) or by being paired with other smart home hubs.

The Kwikset Kevo Smart Lock works with the Kevo Plus to provide out-of-Bluetooth-range control. The Kevo Plus is a combination of a service and an actual gateway. The small gateway connects to your router via an ethernet cable. It helps your Kevo lock pair with your home’s Wifi Network to unlock total remote control at your fingertips. Get instant alerts when someone comes and goes, check the lock status, and let friends & guests into your home via Kevo app from anywhere you’ve got an internet connection.

The August Smart Lock Pro offers more options for remote control because it features more technologies. The Z-Wave Plus support allows you to pair your August smart lock with hubs like Wink and SmartThings. And if you’re new to smart home hubs, check out our guide on Wink vs. SmartThings. A hub is the heart of any smart home, and if you want all your smart products interact with each other, you’ll end up getting one sooner or later.

Another option for extended remote control is via Apple’s Homekit. Use your Apple TV or an iPad as a hub to control your August smart lock remotely. The lock should be within the Bluetooth range of the hub for flawless performance. You can then use Siri or control the lock via the August app even when you’re not at home.

And one more option is via August Connect. It works just like the Kevo Plus, however it doesn’t need an Ethernet connection to your router, which is a huge advantage over the Kevo Plus. Just plug the August Connect into an outlet and pair it with the August Smart Lock Pro and your Wifi router. That’s it. No wiring whatsoever.

But, why don’t smart locks come with Wifi to begin with? Well, Wifi requires a lot of power when compared to Bluetooth LE or Z-Wave Plus. So, it’s pretty common for smart products to have “gateways” and “bridges” to help smart products pair with your Wifi network.

To sum it up, you can control the Kevo lock remotely with the Kevo Plus. And for the August Smart Lock Pro you’ll need either a Z-Wave Plus hub, Apple hub, or August Connect.

Difference #4: DoorSense Technology – Is your door actually closed? This is the number one concern with smart locks because while the lock status shows “Locked”, the door might actually be ajar.

However, with the DoorSense Technology you don’t need to worry about it. Ever. The technology lets you check the status of your lock and your door ensuring that your home is secure. This safety feature is especially good when paired with remote access. So, whenever you have doubts, just check the app and get the piece of mind we’re all craving for.

There are only two locks on the market that support this unique feature: August Smart Lock Pro and August Smart Lock Gen 3. The Kwikset Kevo doesn’t support it, so while you still can check the status of the lock, you’re left guessing about the status of your door.

Difference #5: Shared Access – One of the benefits of having a smart lock is sharing access with your family, friends, dog walker and others without worrying about lost or copied keys.

With the Kwikset Kevo you can create and share a maximum of 25 eKeys. Whereas the August Smart Lock Pro allows for unlimited shared access, which makes it a better choice in this area over the Kevo lock.

Kwikset Kevo and August Smart Lock Accessories

The Kevo Plus is a great addition to any Kwikset Kevo Smart Lock for remote control capabilities. And if you’re looking for more shared access options, check out the Kevo Key Fobs. They are perfect for visitors with no smartphones because they can skip the whole process of registering in the Kevo app, and just use the key fob to unlock the Kevo lock.

The August Smart Lock Pro also offers alternative options for unlocking the door — The August Smart Keypad. This numeric keypad allows you to create up to 220 unique personal codes for various visitors of your home. Unlike some other smart locks that already come with a keypad on their exterior side, the August Smart Lock offers the keypad separately. This way you get to place it anywhere you want without changing anything in your exterior setup of the lock.

The August Smart Keypad is wire-free and it allows you to track when people come and go with a 24/7 activity log.

Kwikset Kevo vs. August Smart Lock Pro — Our Thoughts

The Kwikset Kevo is a good smart lock with its own unique features like Touch-to-Open™ and SmartKey Security™. However, with all the criticism on Amazon, the Kevo lock is far from being perfect. For the same amount of money (or even less) you can probably find a better alternative that works a bit more soundly.

The August Smart Lock Pro is one of these “better” locks. The lock utilizes Bluetooth, HomeKit, and Z-Wave Plus technologies, so you can easily integrate it into your smart home system for remote control. It also comes with a very unique feature, DoorSense Technology, that’ll let you know if your door is left ajar and needs attention.

I’ve had the August for several months and I am ditching it for the Kevo. The developers at August have obviously never seen the acronym KISS – “keep it simple stupid!”. Their lock sees if you are away from home by seeing if you have gone a specific distance. What if you’ve just gone to the park or to a next door neighbor’s? Your door doesn’t open for you and you either have to pull out your keys or pull out your phone, open the app, etc. Not exactly convenient. And even if you have gone more than the required distance, I’ve had less than 50% success with the August opening my lock when I get home. And when it fails to open, it sometimes waits until I have gone in and locked the door and THEN it unlocks the door a few minutes later. Sometimes I notice this, and sometimes I don’t see until the next morning that my house has been unlocked all night. I would stay away from August. With the Kevo requiring a touch, that seems way more reliable than the complexities of the August scheme. And I can leave my keys and my phone in my pocket.

Thanks for sharing your experience, Mick! It really helps the smart home crowd 🙂 And we’re sorry you’ve experienced so much trouble with the August lock! Hopefully Kwikset Kevo works way better for you!

My Kevo finally arrived and I finally found some free time to install it. Not quite as simple as I would have hoped for a fairly talented handy man. Major problems were:

1. Interactive guide on my smart phone did not include a parts list so I didn’t even realize that they had included their own replacement deadbolt hidden beneath the plastic tray. This caused some extra work when they told me to remove the old deadbolt and then install the deadbolt and I reinstalled the one I had just removed.

2. The holes for the screws holding the unit onto the door were not countersunk so the screws stick out preventing the cover from sliding on. I was able to leave those screws off as the screws that hold the cover on seemed sufficient for holding everything to the door.

3. The keys that came with my unit didn’t work and without them there is no way to use the “rekey” feature. The vendor I bought from said that I need to contact Kevo so I will be relying on the phone app working 100% since I have no working keys at the moment

4. When I left the house this morning the Kevo locked up fine but when I got home from work… nothing! But once I woke up my phone the lock worked. This is annoying as I was hoping that I could just leave my keys and my phone in my pocket. Will have to see if there is a workaround for this.

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